On Thursday, February 27, the Sacramento Planning Commission approved SVA Architects’ site plan and design reviews for the last two primary blocks of the Mirasol Village redevelopment. Formerly known as Twin Rivers, the Sacramento public housing community and the surrounding River District neighborhood will be transformed into a fully connected, vibrant community with new transit, employment centers, services, retail, and recreational amenities. The Mirasol Village redevelopment joins SVA Architects’ extensive portfolio of public housing developments, cultural institutions, and vibrant urban communities.
Ernesto M. Vasquez, FAIA, CEO of SVA Architects, states, “Along with McCormack Baron Salazar, we hosted many community meetings with the local residents to develop the vision for Mirasol Village. We’re very proud of the master plan, incorporating the best of urban design and the goals of the community.”
Poised for redevelopment, Twin Rivers was one of the first public housing developments built in the County of Sacramento, and has become isolated from the rest of the city by railroad tracks, levees and rivers, and limited roads and sidewalks. Built in the 1940s, the deteriorated buildings had also reached the end of their usable life. The redevelopment includes replacing the previous 218 units with 427 new mixed-income homes, adding multi-modal connections to the heart of Sacramento including a new Sacramento Regional Transit Light Rail Blue Line Station, providing comprehensive supportive services to residents, and revitalizing the neighborhood with new amenities and recreation. Community spaces include a 1.2-acre community park, 2/3-acre community garden, fruit tree orchard, garden learning center, pool, playgrounds, and walking paths. Construction will commence this summer. The project is a collaboration of the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) and McCormack Baron Salazar. The recently entitled parcels, known as Blocks C and D, include 200 housing units and an early childhood education center.
Nathan Herrero, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Principal at SVA Architects, states, “We are thrilled to be a part of the work that SHRA and McCormack Baron Salazar are doing to breathe new life this region. Like its Spanish ‘sunflower’ namesake, Mirasol Village will blossom into a bright, vibrant neighborhood full of vitality, hope, and new beginnings.”
About SVA Architects, Inc.
Founded in 2003, SVA Architects has become one of the Country’s most innovative and respected design and planning organizations. The award-winning firm specializes in urban planning, architecture, and interior design of public, private, and mixed-use projects. Among the firm’s portfolio are civic, educational, residential, commercial and mixed-use developments. SVA Architects values institutional and public environments as the foundation of a community and the backdrop against which we live, learn, work, worship, and play. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana with offices in Oakland, San Diego, and Honolulu. For more information, visit www.sva-architects.com.
